


Beautifully Flawed

by diosa11



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Akashi being Akashi, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Autism, Autistic Kuroko, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, High School, M/M, Overprotective GOM, Student Council GOM
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-01 01:35:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10177655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diosa11/pseuds/diosa11
Summary: Akashi Seijuurou is the student council president, the heir to a corporate giant, and someone who excels at everything he does. Imperfection is not a word in his dictionary. On the other end of the spectrum, Kuroko Tetsuya is the living embodiment of the word. He's autistic, invisible, and yet for some reason, Seijuurou just keeps coming back for more.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Let me make the setting for this fic a bit clearer. In this AU, the GOM are student council members, but they are not in the basketball club. The basketball club is Seirin as we know it. They all go to the same school. Seirin members will be a bit OOC, though, because I need them to play the antagonistic role. I hope you enjoy this!

Akashi Seijuurou was perfect. 

His grades and achievements left other students in the dust. He was always the top-scorer in his year, despite having to divide his studies with student council work and learning the ropes at his father’s company. Akashi Group was a multinational giant that practically ruled the current Japanese economy. Seijuurou’s father trusted no outsider to be the decision-maker in their empire. The Akashis—and only the Akashis—were absolute. Seijuurou followed the family legacy perfectly on that front. He easily juggled school and business in a way that would’ve made others break down and cry. The student body both admired and feared him. He was their god. Their leader. Untouched by any imperfection.

“Aka-chin, I’m hungry.”

Seijuurou sighed. He resisted the urge to massage the bridge of his nose. Although only Atsushi and Shintarou were in the student council room at the moment, he still couldn’t let them see him down. The members of the student council were all high-grade students Seijuurou had hand-picked and recruited himself. They were the best of the best. All four other members had certain areas they specialized in, and they excelled so much that they had even created a name for themselves. The Generation of Miracles comprised of geniuses worthy of Seijuurou trust. But they were still beasts he had to tame. One crack in his perfect exterior and Seijuurou knew he would lose their respect. 

It was tiring, but such was the fate of an Akashi. He was never allowed to lose. 

“You can eat once you’re done with that stack of paperwork, Atsushi.”

“Eh. But the papers can wait. My stomach can’t.”

“The stack only got so tall because you’ve let them wait for too long already.”

Atsushi’s head fell from the lazy hold of his palm and smacked loudly against the table, sending several papers fluttering to the floor. It didn’t seem like he felt any pain, though. He just rolled his thick-skulled purple head around, mumbling, “Don’t have the energy to do it.”

“Atsushi,” Seijuurou said dangerously, “are you questioning my authority?”

That always worked like a charm.

Shintarou snorted and muttered, “Idiot.” under his breath as Atsushi promptly straightened his back and started working through the stack. Seriously. It sometimes felt like Seijuurou was managing a group of kindergarteners as opposed to talented high school students.

“Akashi,” Shintarou called, “about the basketball club’s request for extra funding—”

“Rejected,” Seijuurou responded without looking up from his paper. He wrote off Class 2-E’s idiotic idea of starting a cross-dressing café then quickly moved on to the next project. The culture festival was in three months, and the student council was short on time and funding as it was. “Regretfully, our school’s basketball club doesn’t show enough promise. They’ve won some friendly matches, but overall, they’re mediocre. I’d much rather give the funds to our swim team or tennis club.”

“I agree.” Shintarou fixed his glasses as he squinted at some minuscule details on the request paper. “However, supposedly, they’ve just acquired a new member that shows an amazing potential. Kagami Taiga, a second-year transfer student from America. They believe he can lead them to the nationals.”

“Oh?” Seijuurou cracked his neck. He threw a glance at the clock. He was mostly done with his quota of student council work for the day, and he had three hours to burn before he would have to attend a meeting with the Board of Directors. He needed a good exercise anyway—his body was all stiff. “All right, then. I’ll go check this ‘Kagami Taiga’ out myself.”

In response to that, Shintarou clucked his tongue. Atsushi blew his fringe out of his eyes in apparent exasperation, although his expression didn’t change. “Well, there goes their ace.”

Seijuurou decided to let their insolence slip this time and simply gathered up his things before leaving through the doorway. He didn’t forget to throw back a quick, “I want those papers on my desk tomorrow. Eight o’clock sharp, Atsushi.”

A groan, followed by another sound of Atsushi’s heavy head slamming against the table. 

#

Kagami Taiga certainly had an imposing physique. 

He towered over Seijuurou in height. The power he put into his jumps and dunks were nothing to scoff at either. None of the other basketball team members even came close. He would certainly be a good addition to the team. 

But if he wanted that extra funding for the club, he had to work for it.

“Kagami Taiga, I request a one-on-one.”

Seijuurou hadn’t shouted his challenge or even raised his voice, but the basketball court that had been bustling with the sounds of shoes squeaking against the floor and shouting members fell deathly silent in an instant. Kagami Taiga broke the silence by letting go of the basketball hoop he’d been hanging from and dropping heavily in a crouch. 

“Ah?” He cracked his knuckles. “Who’re you?”

“Akashi Seijuurou, president of the student council. Show me what you can do if you want me to approve of that extra funding for your team, Taiga.”

“Who said you could call me by my first name, shorty?”

“Kagami-kun!” Aida Riko, the coach of the basketball team, and the one who likely had submitted the request for extra funding, smacked Kagami Taiga over the head and dragged him away. She whispered urgently into his ears while shooting fearful glances over her shoulder at Seijuurou. 

“Interesting!” Kagami Taiga roared. He turned and pointed a finger in challenge. “You think you can beat me? Come at me, then!”

Kagami Taiga charged with all the finesse of a blind boar. He picked up the basketball off of the floor and threw it towards Seijuurou. “Game start!”

Seijuurou dodged the ball without blinking. It smacked against the wall and bounced into the hands of a bespectacled club member, who dropped it in surprise. The ball bounced away with no one to catch it. No one dared to catch it. They were all frozen, watching Seijuurou’s reaction as if he were the predator and they were the prey, as if the slightest move would send him pouncing. 

“Just let me get changed first,” Seijuurou said shortly as he walked in the direction of the changing room. He had a meeting after this, and he didn’t want his school uniform to get dirty. Seijuurou didn’t need to turn around to know that Kagami Taiga was making a ruckus, thinking he had been made fun of, and that the other club members were holding him back. Seijuurou was already starting to regret his decision. Coming to the basketball court seemed like it was going to be a waste of time. 

If the team counted on Kagami Taiga alone, they were in for a disappointment. He had the potential and the strength, but lacked the brain power needed to calmly analyze the situation and make necessary decisions. Aida Riko could be his guide, but he needed someone close by. Someone that could stand by him on the basketball court. Someone calm and collected. Someone who could play a supportive role.

A shadow. 

There was a shadow in the far end of the changing room. It turned at the corner and slipped from Seijuurou’s sharp eyes. Seijuurou quickly pulled his T-shirt over his head and gave a chase. He intercepted the path where the shadow had been heading down. Something smacked into his chest. Seijuurou barely felt the impact, but the opposing figure fell down from the force.

Powder-blue eyes and hair greeted Seijuurou. Someone with such unusual coloring should’ve caught his attention as soon as he entered the changing room, but Seijuurou had only noticed his presence because he’d moved in a conspicuous way. Seijuurou narrowed his eyes. 

“How long have you been here?”

The boy made no move to answer him. It didn’t even seem like he’d heard him. He just picked himself off of the floor, mumbling intelligibly to himself. The floor was apparently much more interesting than Seijuurou, because the boy continued to stare dazedly at it. Then, he started biting his nails. 

Seijuurou should feel insulted. With any other person, he would’ve reached for his trusty scissors and shown them their place. But the boy didn’t look like he was doing it to insult Seijuurou. And for some reason, Seijuurou didn’t feel angry. 

He was curious.

“What’s your name?”

“Kuroko Tetsuya,” the boy responded quickly, almost automatically. His voice was soft and toneless. He still wouldn’t raise his eyes, and had responded to Seijuurou’s question in-between nail-biting.

“Tetsuya,” Seijuurou tested the name on his tongue. “Are you a member of the basketball team?”

At the word “basket,” Tetsuya perked up. As if a switch had been flicked, he started doing weird motions with his hand. Seijuurou realized with a start that he was playing basketball. He was making passes. Only, he was doing it without any ball in hand. Seijuurou started noticing other things as well—like the fact that he’d just asked a stupid question, something Akashi Seijuurou had never done before—because Tetsuya was actually wearing the basketball club’s uniform, though it was on backwards. 

Interesting. Seijuurou was intrigued, and that didn’t happen often. He wasn’t going to let this one slip by. 

“Tetsuya, go to the court and sit on the bench. Wait for me there. When I’m done, we’ll go home together.”

Tetsuya didn’t show any sign that he had heard Seijuurou. He just kept making passes, with nobody to receive them. Seijuurou would love to take the time to piece together this peculiar puzzle. Unfortunately, it would have to wait. 

He had a basketball ace to take on. 

#

Seijuurou had expected Kagami Taiga to last for ten minutes. 

He hadn’t lasted for five.

To be fair, Seijuurou had been merciless. He’d played more seriously than he had intended to. Three stolen balls, two three-pointers, and one ankle break later, Kagami Taiga realized the abyss-wide distance between their skills. Still, he did not give up. In fact, he seemed more fired up than ever. That persistence and shamelessness earned him one point of acknowledgement from Seijuurou. But that was it. 

“I want a rematch!”

Seijuurou opened his mouth to decline for the third time. He’d seen what Kagami Taiga could do, and he wasn’t impressed. Seijuurou had bigger fish to fry and more interesting puzzles to figure out. He was just about to shoot off a dismissive comment when he caught something from the corner of his eye. 

Seijuurou had honed his people-analyzing skills because they were necessary when conducting business, but they proved to be really useful in daily lives also. He could always tell when Daiki skipped student council meetings for a nap on the rooftop, or when a conflict was going on between two of the members. Right then, something strange was definitely going on. 

None of the other club members paid Tetsuya any attention. 

Tetsuya hadn’t followed Seijuurou’s orders. He’d come into the court all right, but he didn’t sit on the bench or wait for Seijuurou. He stood alone in the far corner of the massive room, practicing passes without the ball. The other club members were gathered around Seiijurou and Kagami Taiga, watching the game with rapt attention without realizing that one of them was being left out, as if this was a normal occurrence, as if they just didn’t care.

For some reason, this irked Seijuurou much more than having his orders disobeyed by Tetsuya.

“All right, we’ll have a rematch.” Kagami Taiga’s face brightened like Christmas had come early. “But on one condition.”

Seijuurou marched purposefully towards Tetsuya. He could feel the club members’ eyes following him. Whispers of confusion broke out. Seijuurou paid them no attention. He grabbed Tetsuya by the arm and pulled him into the limelight. 

“Kagami Taiga, you’ll be teaming up with Tetsuya.”

Kagami Taiga blinked. He was staring at Tetsuya as if he’d never seen him before. Aida Riko, however, showed a completely different reaction. She gasped and blurted out, “But that’s unfair! Kuroko’s only going to drag Kagami-kun down!”

“Oh? And what makes you say that?” 

“He’s…” Aida Riko trailed off, hesitance clear on her face. 

“Autistic.” The bespectacled team member who’d caught Kagami’s ball moved to stand in front of Aida Riko, protecting her from Seijuurou’s piercing gaze. 

Seijuurou’d guessed as much from the way Tetsuya acted. Still, “I don’t see a problem with that.”

Aida Riko bit her lip as if there was something bad-tasting she really needed to spit out of her mouth, but held back because the action would be seen as distasteful. Once again, the bespectacled member came to her rescue. 

“I’m Hyuuga Junpei, captain of this club,” he said. “I don’t believe Kuroko is ready to be on the court. He’s…unstable. He is incapable of following simple commands, and cannot cooperate with the other team members. Moreover, he’s never been in an actual match before. If you need someone to be Kagami’s partner, there are better options.”

“You say he’s never been in a match,” Seijuurou drawled. “How long has he been a member of this club, exactly?”

Hyuuga Junpei fell silent, and that in itself was answer enough for Seijuurou. Kuroko Tetsuya was a second year, and he’d been a member since his first year. He’d been practicing alone in that forgotten corner for one and a half year, repeating the same motion over and over again, with his teammates never even bothering to take notice of his presence.  


“You don’t understand. He’s—”

Seijuurou shot Hyuuga Junpei a murderous look. “If you think that just because he’s different he deserves to be pushed aside and forgotten, then perhaps I need to make adjustments to your position as the team captain.”

That quickly shut him up. 

Seijuurou turned around, and to his surprise, he was greeted by the sight of wide blue eyes. Tetsuya quickly averted his gaze again, but that was the first actual sign of recognition Seijuurou had received from him, and it felt profoundly meaningful. Seijuurou allowed a small smile to curve his lips. 

“Change of plans. Tetsuya and I will be playing against you,” Seijuurou announced. His gaze shifted from one member to the other, relishing in the way they squirm. “All of you.”

Seijuurou saw something in Tetsuya—a limitless potential that promised to become something amazing if honed the right way. He was absolute. He was never wrong.  


This match was going to be interesting. 

Seijuurou hurriedly shook off his hold on Tetsuya’s arm when Tetsuya reached for his hand and started biting his nails.


	2. Chapter Two

“Tetsuya, focus!” 

Tetsuya jerked out of his stupor just in time to catch the ball Seijuurou had thrown at him. He stared at the ball confusedly, as if he didn’t know what to do with it. 

Kagami Taiga belted out an impressive battle cry as he charged towards Tetsuya with hands outstretched, ready to pry the ball away with brute force.

But he didn’t have to do that. Tetsuya passed the ball to him willingly. He only realized his mistake after Kagami Taiga had dribbled the ball away, far too quickly for Tetsuya to give chase. Although, it didn’t stop him from giving an almost pitiful attempt to do just that. 

Seijuurou easily reclaimed the ball from Kagami Taiga. He danced to the left as Hyuuga Junpei attacked from the right, and dribbled the ball towards Tetsuya. 

“Here,” he pushed the ball back into Tetsuya’s hands. “Try to shoot it.”

Tetsuya was standing very close to the hoop, but the power he put behind his shot wasn’t even enough to make the ball reach halfway up. He’d also aimed it too far to the left. Hyuuga Junpei took the chance. He grabbed the ball with a triumphant shout then dribbled further away from the hoop to score a three-pointer. Seijuurou paid him no mind. Three points wouldn’t make a difference. 

So, shooting was a no-go. Well, no matter. “Next we’ll try an alley-oop. Pass the ball to me, Tetsuya.”

Tetsuya raised his head. His gaze was fixed somewhere above Seijuurou’s left ear. Seijuurou could tell he wanted to look into his eyes, but it seemed almost physically painful for him. Someone like Satsuki would’ve told Tetsuya to take it easy, to not do it if it made him uncomfortable. But not Seijuurou. 

He grasped Tetsuya’s chin and forced him to look up.

“Focus. Eyes on me,” Seijuurou said. His face was only inches away from Tetsuya’s, and he could clearly see the swirling mixture of fear and surprise in his eyes, feel his quivering breaths against his lips. “Do not disappoint me, Tetsuya.”

“Either get a room or start taking the match seriously, you brat!” Hyuuga Junpei shouted. “Respect your seniors!”

“Captain, calm down,” a cat-faced senior interjected. “It’s too early for clutch mode.”

“He’s making fun of us, Koganei! Just look at him playing coach with Kuroko! He thinks Kuroko is better than us!”

“I don’t think so.” Seijuurou smirked. “I know so.” 

That seemed to push Hyuuga Junpei over the edge. 

“Do you know what Kuroko did the first time I put him in a match, Akashi?”

There was a small, frightened noise to his right. When Seijuurou looked down, he found Tetsuya trembling, an expression of pure terror on his face.

“It was an emergency. One of our members was injured. Kuroko was the only one available on the bench. He was only there to even the number. We had the match. His only duty was to be invisible as usual, and watch us win.” Hyuuga Junpei’s tone changed. He’d been quite rude and outspoken since he’d entered this “clutch mode,” but what he said next was downright hostile. “But he just had to get involved. He just had to mess up our game, just like what he’s doing to you right now. As if that wasn’t enough, he even fell flat on his face and broke his nose. The match had to be stopped because of that. He’s worthless. He can’t even follow a simple command. And he doesn’t respect his seniors.”

It wasn’t like Seijuurou did not understand Hyuuga Junpei’s reasoning. After all, Seijuurou himself demanded absolute obedience from his subordinates, and Tetsuya’s behavior would certainly fall under the unacceptable category in his book. 

But then…

“I’m sorry.” 

Tetsuya had his eyes clenched shut. He was shaking as a leaf, clutching his shirt so tightly the palm of his hands had gone red. He whispered apology after apology in a broken voice. No doubt the mistake he’d made had been weighing on him all this time.

“Tetsuya, open your eyes.” 

Tetsuya did just that. His eyes were watery and he seemed to be fighting back the urge to look away, but he didn’t do it. Not this time. 

Seijuurou had had to tell him to focus many times, to not look away no matter how difficult it was. He'd repeated the same thing again and again.

It had all been worth it. Tetsuya had been listening. 

Hyuuga Junpei was an unworthy leader. He had misread Tetsuya entirely. Tetsuya wasn’t uncooperative, per se. Nor was he disrespectful. He loved basketball, and he’d been too excited to finally have the chance to play with his friends to stand still.

He just wanted to help. 

“Watch closely, now. Take care not to fall and break your nose this time.”

Seijuurou did not wait to see whether Tetsuya had followed his orders or not. He jumped into action, weaving seamlessly between the obstructing bodies of Seirin’s basketball team members in a red blur. He reached Hyuuga Junpei in record-time and snatched the ball away from him effortlessly. When he turned around, though, Seijuurou found himself surrounded. Seirin was getting desperate. They had gathered all of their members to form a circle around Seijuurou in a last-ditch attempt to stop him. 

“Akashi-kun!”

Ah, there he was. His obedient little Tetsuya.

He’d appeared out of nowhere. Like a shadow. Even the Seirin basketball club members were surprised. They only had to keep track of two opposing players, and it should’ve been really difficult to slip under their radar. But Tetsuya had done exactly that. 

It shed a little light on the hidden potential Seijuurou had seen in Kuroko Tetsuya. 

Tetsuya’s unexpected appearance created the opening that Seijuurou needed. He dribbled the ball almost too quickly for eyes to follow, and through the gap that his ankle break created, he passed the ball.

Once again, Tetsuya caught it squarely. And this time, he knew what to do. He had a clear path to the hoop, since no one had been paying him any attention. He started running.

Well, perhaps not running, exactly. He looked more like a squirrel, desperately scurrying on short legs. Tetsuya was trying, but there was no way a squirrel could outrun the hungry tiger that was ready to pounce right behind him. Tetsuya made the mistake of looking back. He almost jumped out of his skin at the intimidating sight of Kagami Taiga practically breathing down his neck.

“Tetsuya, focus! Eyes on me!”

Tetsuya turned his gaze forward, and Seijuurou saw pure relief flit through those clear blue eyes. It was like all his fear had suddenly been erased at the sight of Seijuurou. Seijuurou hadn’t expected Tetsuya to be able to make that expression. It was a surprise he enjoyed. 

Tetsuya passed the ball, and this time, he wasn’t doing it alone. Seijuurou was there to catch it. 

Seijuurou caught it mid-jump and dunked the ball.

It was a buzzer beater.

The game had ended with Seijuurou’s victory. That was to be expected, but Seirin basketball club members had apparently not gotten the memo. The shocked faces all around him were interesting enough, but Seijuurou bypassed them all and went straight for Tetsuya. 

“Nice pass,” he said. “Oh, and the alley-oop was a success. I knew you could do it.”

Tetsuya stammered. He looked like there were too many things going through his head at once, too many things he wanted to say. None came out properly, though. The overload was apparently too much. Tetsuya ran away in fright as if Seijuurou were a lion to his squirrel, scrambling towards the changing room.

Seijuurou couldn’t help it. He laughed. 

#

“I apologize. I was the one who invited you to walk home together, but I’ve stayed for longer than I intended, and the meeting starts in an hour. You sure you don’t want me to give you a ride home? A small detour is really not a problem.” 

Tetsuya shook his head. He looked down at the basketball he held in his hands demurely. Seijuurou found that to be strange.

He should be happy. Tetsuya had had to bring his own basketball to the practice every day because he wasn’t allowed to use the club’s. But Seijuurou had made it perfectly clear to Hyuuga Junpei and Aida Riko that that was no longer acceptable. Tetsuya was to be made an actual part of the team. No excuses. In return, Seijuurou promised to loosen his hold on the tap of funding for the basketball club. 

It was a good deal, if Seijuurou dared say so himself. He had no doubt that Tetsuya would bring good tidings to the team. Seijuurou looked forward to seeing Seirin High’s name at the top of the basketball nationals’ ranking list this year. He would accept nothing less. 

“Enjoy your practices.”

Tetsuya opened his mouth, then closed it. He opened it again. He looked like he was on the verge of confessing something important when a small honk sounded. A black limo pulled over next to Seijuurou. Tetsuya visibly cowered at that—the words that had been at the tip of his tongue swallowed back down. 

Seijuurou wasn’t having any of that. 

“Something you want to say to me, Tetsuya?” Seijuurou prompted. Tetsuya shot apprehensive glances back and forth between Seijuurou and the limo, gesturing with his hands that Seijuurou should hurry up and go, lest he kept the chauffeur waiting. Seijuurou made no move to acknowledge him. He calmly stood there and waited. 

Realizing there was no running this time, Tetsuya visibly gathered his courage. He breathed in, and out. In and out. Seijuurou bemusedly wondered what kind of embarrassing statement he was about to make. What actually came out was certainly unexpected.

“Thank you.” 

Tetsuya was red to the tips of his ears. Not even the basketball he used as a shield to hide his face behind was enough protection. “It was fun.”

Short and sweet. Well, that was that. Seijuurou was actually kind of disappointed. He had been expecting more. But perhaps this was the extent of what Tetsuya was capable of. At least for now. 

“I’m glad. See you later, then.”

Seijuurou opened the car door. Just when he was about to get in, though, Tetsuya shouted, “I want to play with you again! Please come again tomorrow!”

Seijuurou looked up, stunned. He wasn’t the only one to do that. Tetsuya had shouted loud enough to attract the attention of all the people on the street, ranging from other students to passerby. 

Realizing what he had done, Tetsuya panicked. Seijuurou could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. Impressively, he managed to continue, albeit in a stammer: “If you have time… I mean—that is—” 

And that was the limit. Tetsuya didn’t finish his sentence. He abandoned ship and ran home without waiting for an answer from Seijuurou.

For the second time that day, Seijuurou couldn’t control the laughter that bubbled up from deep within his chest. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so much.

It died down quickly when he saw who was waiting inside the passenger’s seat of the limo, though.

Seijuurou took the seat opposite of the imposing figure of Akashi Seiji. The car engine purred as it came to life. It smoothly pulled away from the curb and sailed down the road. 

“Good afternoon, Father. How was the convention?”

“It went as expected. We’re adding ten more branches in America next year.” 

“You’re going to attend the Board of Directors’ meeting?” Because there was no way Seiji would’ve willingly picked Seijuurou up from school if there was no business involved. It didn’t matter that they hadn’t seen each other for three months. His father would go directly from the airport to a meeting without breaking his stride, but never just to spend time with Seijuurou. 

“Yes. I trust you’re prepared?”

“Of course.”

Seiji didn’t respond immediately. Seijuurou knew right then that the time for small talk was over. 

“I see you’ve taken up another pet project,” Seiji said. “I approved of your previous four because they were truly talented individuals, and creating connections with people you can trust is important for your future. However, I fail to see what you plan to gain from this one.”

“He interests me,” Seijuurou said. “He’s a puzzle I would like to solve.”

To Seijuurou’s surprise, Seiji chuckled. It was a somber one—since Seiji wasn’t capable of a simple, happy laugh—but it was still something that only happened once in a blue moon. “You remind me of myself when I was your age.”

Seiji glanced out the window at the scenery passing by. Seijuurou waited for his father to elaborate. The low-hanging rooftops of suburban houses gradually gave way to high-rise buildings as they entered the center of commerce. 

“I had a dog once. It was this old thing I found in a park. Someone must’ve abandoned it because it was becoming a burden. Its nose wasn’t working properly anymore, so it couldn’t even eat without help. It only had three legs. I have no idea whether it lost one before or after it was abandoned, but it must’ve been through some real hardship. It would growl and snap at me. It didn’t trust humans anymore.”

Seijuurou hadn’t expected this line of conversation. His father hated animals. They’d never been allowed to have pets in their house. Seiji always said they were good for nothing. Anything that didn’t contribute to their power and wealth did not belong in the Akashi household.

“I was curious. I brought it home and nursed it back to health. It gradually began to trust me. It would follow me around, hopping on its remaining three legs as it tried to keep up. It would come running whenever I called it. Its loyalty seemed true. So I thought it was time for a test.”

Seiji poured a glass of wine from the mini-bar in the limo. It was unusual for Seijuurou’s father to drink before a meeting, but he seemed to be in a particularly chatty mood today. He didn’t usually spare more than basic greetings and business talks for Seijuurou, so he must’ve needed the liquor to help smooth the way for words he wasn’t accustomed to using. 

“I told it to stay on one side of a river and went to the other. Then I called it over.” Seiji tipped the glass, the corners of his lips quirking up as he savored the blood-red drink slowly. “You should’ve seen how it struggled to keep its head above water. Didn’t take long for it to go under.”

Seijuurou was an expert at schooling his expression, but fooling his father was still beyond him, apparently, because Seiji snorted and said, “Don’t worry. I did not leave it to drown.”

“I wasn’t worried.” Seijuurou wasn’t lying. He’d only been surprised. He knew his father would never do anything that had the potential to jeopardize his reputation. 

“What I did was take it to the vet and have it immediately put down.”

A chill ran down Seijuurou’s spine. 

Seiji did not miss the reaction, even though it was flitting. His father’s eyes burned with derision and dissatisfaction, boring a hole into Seijuurou. “You’re still too soft, Seijuurou. What I did may seem harsh, but it was actually an act of mercy. A normal dog would've been able to cross that river easily, but not that three-legged one. It was flawed, and that was not something it could make up for, no matter how loyal it was. Imperfect beings like that dog and the boy are unfortunate creatures, born wrongly into this world, where the main rule is survival of the fittest. It was my responsibility as the dog’s owner to end its pitiful existence, so it wouldn’t have to suffer. The same applies for you and that boy. Cut off ties with him, Seijuurou. He doesn’t fit into the perfect world of an Akashi. He’ll only suffer more the longer you string him along. And you’ll be wasting your precious time. He will only drag you down with him.”

Seijuurou steepled his fingers. “Worry not, Father. He’s merely someone who caught my attention because I’ve never seen a specimen like him before. Nothing more. I have no intention of coming into prolonged contact with him, and I will never let him affect my schedule, or the quality of my work.”

Seiji set the wine glass aside and leaned forward. His searching gaze bore down on Seijuurou’s calm mien heavily, testing it, seeing if it would crack.

When it didn’t, Seiji leaned back in his seat, satisfied.

The ride grew silent afterwards. No more words were exchanged between them. Seijuurou stared at the crimson sky beyond the car window. It was later than he’d imagined. Thankfully, the road was pretty deserted. Otherwise, they would’ve been late for the meeting. 

His father was right. Time was a precious commodity that Seijuurou was already in short supply of, and there was really nothing to gain from fooling around with an autistic kid.

Much as he hated to admit it, playing basketball with Tetsuya had made him lose track of time. Seijuurou had been so focused on Tetsuya that he’d lost sight of other things. Much more important things. Seijuurou didn’t like it. He hated not being in control. 

But then again, Seijuurou hated leaving puzzles half-finished even more.

And if he had every intention of seeing Tetsuya again tomorrow… Well, his father didn’t have to know about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good? Bad? Tell me what you think.


	3. Chapter Three

Seijuurou waited calmly for the door to class 2-D to open. The bell signaling lunch break had just rung, and Seijuurou had wasted no time in leaving his own class. He'd arrived early at student council this morning to file through the student database—Atsushi’s stack of paperwork pushed aside for the time being. 

Information about Tetsuya had been easy enough for him to find—although for some reason, his name was squeezed in a little corner on the last page, despite “K” being quite high up there on the alphabet. 

Since they were both sophomores, Tetsuya's class was only a short distance away from Seijuurou's. Idle chatter and sounds of laughter could be heard clearly through the thin aluminum door. The door was finally pushed open, fifteen seconds after Seijuurou had knocked on it. Much too slow.

“Yes, who is it—” The girl who opened the door took one look at who was standing behind it and her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. “A-Akashi-san!”

“Good afternoon. I'm here for Tetsuya.”

The girl did not look like she managed to process what Seijuurou had said. She just stood there and gaped at him.

Seijuurou tried again. “Is Kuroko Tetsuya in?”

The girl blinked. She stared at Seijuurou in confusion, cheeks red and expression flustered. “Um, who?”

Seijuurou resisted the urge to sign in frustration. Slow, indeed. 

Deciding not to waste any more time on the girl, Seijuurou pushed the door to its limit then promptly walked in without being invited.

The class fell silent at the sight of him. Seijuurou was used to it. Even his own classmates, who should’ve been used to his presence by now, would lower their heads in respect whenever Seijuurou walked past.

His sharp eyes scanned the crowd. None dared move under his observation. They acted like cornered mice, frozen in their tracks as they waited with baited breath for the cat to make the first move. One even had his mouth wide open. The octopus sausage that had been on its way to being chewed dropped from his chopsticks and bounced to the floor, no longer edible. He didn't even notice it.

There. In the back of the room, by the window.

Tetsuya must’ve been the only person in the classroom that hadn’t noticed Seijuurou's presence. He was nose-deep in a book. Occasionally, he would pause to drink from a juice box he’d placed on his table, then flip the page and go right back to reading.

Tetsuya was endearingly defenseless. He only jumped when Seijuurou was directly behind him, breathing on the shell of his ear as he whispered, “What are you reading?”

Tetsuya's first instinct was to avert his gaze, hide the book, and run as far as possible from the sudden threat to his personal space. Seijuurou was pleased to see him resisting the urge. Even though the strain was clear on his face, Tetsuya looked straight into Seijuurou's eyes and presented him with the cover of the book.

It was Romeo and Juliet.

“You like Shakespeare's works? I’ve personally read Macbeth thrice over.”

Before Tetsuya could respond, a loud, obnoxious voice beat him to the punch. “Akashi Seijuurou! What are you doing here, you bastard?”

Seijuurou glanced up at Kagami Taiga, a bit annoyed. Standing so close to the giant and having to crane his neck so far back to look at him was grating on Seijuurou's nerves. “I'm here to invite Tetsuya to have lunch together. Sit down, will you? Your head's too high.”

Kagami Taiga was about to protest. But when Seijuurou silently communicated that he'd better do it or he'd make him, Kagami Taiga hurriedly plopped himself into a seat.

The seat which was right in front of Tetsuya’s.

“You sit in front of him and you didn’t even realize that he was in your basketball team before yesterday?”

Kagami Taiga flushed. He slammed his impressive mountain of yakisoba breads on Tetsuya's table with more force than necessary. “He's hard to notice. And go away, will you? Kuroko's having lunch with me.”

“Oh? Why the sudden interest in someone you've ignored for so long?”

Seemed like Seijuurou had hit a sore spot. Kagami Taiga smacked his fist on the table angrily. “I didn't purposefully ignore him! He's practically invisible. And I'm trying to get to know him now, so can you please piss off?”

“Too bad for you, Tetsuya himself invited me yesterday, so I think I take priority over someone who doesn't have an appointment with him. Like you.” 

Well, Tetsuya had invited him to play basketball together, not to lunch, but Kagami Taiga didn't have to know that. Seijuurou had a meeting right after school. He had to give the basketball practice a pass today. Still, he didn't want to miss the chance to spend time with Tetsuya.

Kagami Taiga stood back up and growled. He actually growled, like a feral tiger.

Seijuurou didn't let that intimidate him. He coolly stared back.

The tension they exuded was enough to fill the entire classroom. Seijuurou saw a few students ran out the door in fright out of the corner of his eye.

Suddenly, Kagami Taiga's head dropped down to Seijuurou's eye level.

He let out a bellow of surprise. He had to grab the desks on both side of him or risk falling flat on his face. Once he'd regained his balance, he whirled around.

Tetsuya stood behind him, expressionless. 

Seijuurou prided himself on always being aware of his surroundings, but he couldn't say when it was precisely that Tetsuya had moved out of his seat, let alone walk behind Kagami Taiga and push his knees out from under him.

“No fighting. Let's all have lunch together.”

Seijuurou hated being ordered around, but Tetsuya’s unexpected show of courage filled him with a sense of thrill.

This. This was what Seijuurou had been looking for. All the other puzzles were too easy. They posed no challenge at all. Tetsuya, however, continued to surprise him. And Seijuurou wouldn't have it any other way.

#

The GoM always had lunch together on the rooftop. They did not start until all of the members had arrived. Seijuurou had chosen them for their loyalty as much as their talent. 

But that didn’t mean that they were respectful enough to not complain while they waited. 

“I’m hungry! Where is Akashicchi?”

“Kise-chin, shut up. You’re making me hungrier with your whining.”

“But Akashicchi is always the last one to arrive! And he’s even later than usual today.”

“I had some business to take care of, Ryota.”

Ryota froze. He turned around slowly, very slowly. When he finally made eye contact with Seijuurou, the word “oops” was practically written all over his face. “A-Akashicchi. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to question you or anything.”

On a bad day, Seijuurou would’ve whipped out his scissors and given Ryota a makeover he’d never be able to explain to his modeling agency. Luckily, Ryota had caught him on a good day. “It’s fine. Now scoot over.”

Ryota couldn’t get out of Seijuurou’s way fast enough.

“Fashionably late as always, Akashi.” Shintarou fixed his glasses, He peered over them at the new addition to their lunch group. “Who’s that?”

“An unwanted extra. Pay him no mind.”

Kagami Taiga, insulted, reacted without thinking. He threw one of his yakisoba breads towards Seijuurou, which he evaded easily. 

It smacked right into Daiki’s sleeping face.

Daiki sat up, wiped the drool from his chin, and stared in bewilderment at the bread. He narrowed his eyes at Kagami Taiga, who was the obvious culprit, considering he was still holding his handful of breads protectively, as if they were a dragon’s hoard. 

Daiki threw the bread right back at him. “Bastard! Who the hell are you?”

Kagami Taiga fell over from the force. 

Chaos ensued. 

Ryota cheered as Daiki and Kagami Taiga launched into a face-off. Shintarou inched away from the scene, not wanting to get involved. Atsushi picked up the scattered breads and started eating them one by one at an amazing pace as he watched the show from the sidelines—as if the breads were popcorns. 

Lunch breaks were always eventful with their colorful bunch. However, this was ridiculous. The bell signaling the end of the lunch break was not far-off. Seijuurou did not have time for this. 

A scissor went flying. It cut into the small space between Daiki and Kagami Taiga’s heads, embedding into the far-end wall with a loud twang. 

Daiki and Kagami Taiga stopped moving immediately. Strands of blue and red hair fluttered to the floor. 

“Stop behaving like children. Sit down and eat.”

Not one peep came from them after that. They arranged themselves properly in a small circle. Daiki was even sitting seiza-style, on his best behavior. 

Seijuurou cracked open his lunchbox. It was a proper meal with proper nourishments, prepared by his chef. He used his chopsticks to cut into the steamed tofu with delight. 

“This is Kagami Taiga, a member of the basketball club. But he’s not the one I wanted to introduce to you today.” Seijuurou motioned to his right, where Tetsuya was sitting, quietly drinking his juice and staring fixatedly at something on the horizon. “Meet Kuroko Tetsuya.”

Their reactions varied wildly.

Ryota and Shintarou looked startled, having not noticed that Seijuurou had brought another guest other than Kagami Taiga. Atsushi was too occupied with wolfing down his lunch to pay attention to much else. 

Daiki raised his head, surprise coloring his voice as he said, “Tetsu?”

Tetsuya inclined his head in greeting. “Aomine-kun.”

“You know each other?” Seijuurou asked, trying to make his tone light and keep the irritation out of his voice. He wasn’t sure where it had come from, but an ugly feeling rose inside of him at the easy way Tetsuya had reacted to Daiki. 

“Ah, yeah. We went to the same middle school. Joined the same basketball club, actually. I quit the club just before we graduated, though, and we didn’t keep in touch after that. I didn’t even know you attended Seirin, Tetsu. You still in the basketball club?”

Tetsuya nodded. Then—although it was a bit out of context and not quite a required answer for the question Daiki had asked—he said, “I love basketball.”

Daiki grinned. “Glad to see you haven’t changed.”

“Aominecchi, you were in the basketball club? That sounds fun! Why did you quit?” Before Daiki even had a chance to answer, Ryota switched his attention to Tetsuya. “Nice to meet you, Kurokocchi. I wanted to join the basketball club too, you know. But my modeling job kept me busy during my first year. Now that they’ve cut me some slack, perhaps I’ll drop by and see if I can join.”

Kagami Taiga spoke between mouthfuls of food, “You sure you’re ready? Our coach is a tough one, you know. She won’t let you off easy just because you have a pretty face.”

“So mean, Kagamicchi! Don’t judge a book by its cover!”

At this point, Atsushi had finished his lunch, and was working his way through snacks. He wordlessly handed Tetsuya a bag and pouted when Tetsuya declined politely, claiming he was full. Tetsuya went back to his book almost immediately after finishing his (measly) lunch. 

Shintarou arched an eyebrow in interest when he noticed the title. “Seems a bit heavy for an afternoon read. You like classics?”

Tetsuya just shook his head mutely without bothering to elaborate further. 

Kagami Taiga did it for him. “It’s for the play. Our class decided to reenact Romeo and Juliet for the culture festival. All the girls are really excited about it, and for some reason, so is he.”

“Cool! What role are you playing, Kurokocchi? Romeo?”

“He’s working behind the scenes. You know, one of those black-clad guys that move the props around.”

“Oh, that’s”—Ryota seemed to be wracking his brain for something to say that wouldn’t insult Tetsuya—”cool, I guess? So you’ll be like, the ninja that works in the shadows to make sure everything goes smoothly, right?”

“An apt description, Ryota,” Seijuurou said. “I’ll be sure to watch the play, Tetsuya.”

Tetsuya placed his book in his lap and nodded. His expression didn’t change, but Seijuurou easily noticed the slight proud lift to his chin and the way his cheeks flushed a gentle shade of red. He was practically glowing.

“To be so happy with a minor background role…” Daiki shook his head fondly. “That’s so like you.”

Just then, the school bell rang. Lunch break had ended. 

Kagami Taiga stood up. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned hugely. No finesse at all. He started walking towards the stairs. “We better get back to class, Kuroko.” 

Tetsuya moved to follow, but he didn’t immediately descend the stairs the way Kagami Taiga had. He stopped, turned around, and gave each of the members of GoM a profound bow in thanks before walking away.

Once Tetsuya had disappeared down the stairs, Seijuurou was immediately confronted by a furious Aomine Daiki. He fisted Seijuurou’s collar, the muscles in his arms visibly bulging with tension. “What are you planning, Akashi?”

Seijuurou raised an eyebrow. Daiki was one of the harder members of GoM to control, but even he wasn’t usually foolish enough to outright challenge Seijuurou. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb! If you hurt Tetsu, I’ll seriously kill you!”

Seijuurou grabbed Daiki’s hand and, in one smooth move, twisted it to the side. When Daiki was off balance, Seijuurou slammed him to the floor, easily pinning him down despite Daiki’s much larger frame. 

“Your head’s too high.” Seijuurou climbed back to his feet and dusted his pants. “And calm down, will you? I have no intention of hurting Tetsuya whatsoever.”

“You’re playing with him. Don’t think I don’t know. You see him as a puzzle you want to solve, and you treat him like a friend now. But once you get bored of him, you’ll throw him aside like a piece of trash. Tetsu doesn’t deserve that!”

Seijuurou glared down at Daiki, eyes narrowed into slits. “Do not presume to know me, Aomine Daiki.”

Ryota was panicking. “Calm down, Akashicchi, Aominecchi!”

A loud crunch erupted, suddenly piercing through the tension.

Atsushi had scrunched up the plastic bag leftover from his snack, a dour expression on his face. 

“If we don’t get back to class now, we’ll get detention.”

Ryota was visibly relieved at the timely interruption. Daiki picked himself up off the floor. He didn’t forget to throw Seijuurou one last warning glare before skulking off, muttering lowly to himself. 

When Shintarou was the only one left with Seijuurou, he fixed his glasses nervously.

“Any two cents you want to add, Shintarou?”

Shintarou hesitated for a moment, but then sighed in defeat. “I’ve only just met the boy, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I think Aomine has a point.”

“So you also think that I’m merely playing with Tetsuya?”

“It is a bad habit of yours,” Shintarou agreed. “It’s usually harmless. But my point is, Kuroko Tetsuya doesn’t seem like someone you can play with without accidentally breaking. The closer you get to him, the more the separation’s going to hurt. I have a feeling you’ll walk away unscathed, as you always do. But Kuroko Tetsuya won’t. My advice is to stay away from him if you don’t plan to stay. Be careful, Akashi. He’s fragile. You’re walking on eggshells.”

Having said his piece, Shintarou left.

Seijuurou didn’t feel like leaving just yet, so he decided to skip class. He wasn’t worried about detention, and he needed some time to think. 

Their motives and reasons were different, but Daiki, Shintarou, and Seijuurou’s father had all warned him of the same thing: Stay away from Kuroko Tetsuya. 

Seijuurou always took the opinions of people he acknowledged to heart. He trusted Daiki and Shintarou. He knew they had a point. 

But even though his brain knew the right path to take, his heart refused to let him walk down that road. 

Seijuurou stayed on the rooftop for a long while, just staring into the infinite, clear afternoon sky. 

It was a truly beautiful shade of blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love it? Hate it? Tell me what you think.


	4. Chapter Four

Seijuurou was nursing a headache. 

Skipping class and staying on the roof to admire the blue sky had been a mistake. Seijuurou had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't paid the increasingly cold wind any mind until it had started to whip at him with bullets of rainwater. He'd been drenched, cold to the bones.

Worse yet, he hadn't been able to go home and rest immediately. His duties demanded his constant attention, but yesterday had been especially bad. One of the companies under Akashi Group, an important one responsible for a huge chunk of their supply chain, was having technical problems. Production was stilted without it, so Seijuurou had had to take matters into his own hands to prevent further delay.

"Akashi, where's the contract agreement for the contractors we've hired to build the booths for the culture festival?"

Seijuurou's mind went blank. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and it was hard to think. When he finally remembered, he resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands.

He'd brought a huge stack of student council paperwork home with him yesterday, working on it well through the night.

He'd left it on his desk.

"I'll get my chauffeur to send it over right now."

Surprise was evident on Shintarou's face. 

“Seriously, Akashi? What about the equipment purchase list? You know the supplier’s expecting payment today, right?” Daiki prodded. 

“I’ll have it here in an hour.”

“That’s great,” Atsushi said in his usual drawl, although to Seijuurou it somehow sounded like sarcasm. “I can use the hour to relax and eat, right Aka-chin?”

Shintarou looked like he wanted to say something, but Seijuurou wasn't in the mood to hear comments about how he should've been above a basic error like that or how much this delay was going to cost them, so Seijuurou waved him away.

Seijuurou had to admit. He'd been off his game lately. Not noticing the summer shower before it had happened was a fatal error he wouldn't have made before, no matter what kind of pressing business or student council matters was on his mind. 

The atmosphere inside the student council room was tense. Daiki kept sending him thinly-veiled glowers. Ryota had been sneaking worried glances at him since this morning. Atsushi was munching on chips without a care in the world—spraying crumbs all over his desk—and for once, Seijuurou did not have the energy to scold him for it. 

He felt like he was losing control on everything. His vice-like grip has loosened seemingly overnight. Everything had started making a turn for the worse ever since…

Ever since he’d met Tetsuya.

“Akashicchi, are you okay? Your face is all red—"

Ryota yelped when Seijuurou suddenly shot to his feet, exerting more force than strictly necessary and sending his chair clattering against the wall. 

Seijuurou couldn’t breathe. The student council room suddenly felt to small and suffocating. The air conditioner was going full-blast and Ryota had opened the windows earlier to “let the refreshing, natural summer breeze in,” but it was like there wasn’t enough air in the room for Seijuurou. There was a persistent, constant ringing in his ears. Although he could see Daiki and Shintarou’s mouth moving, he couldn’t hear what they were saying. 

It was probably better this way. Seijuurou was sure they had nothing but bitter words to impart upon him. He’d messed up, plain and simple. It was a stupid mistake at that. So much for being the perfect leader with unflappable control. So much for the pride of an Akashi. 

He had to get out of there now. 

“I’m sorry, everyone.” Seijuurou swallowed, ignoring how the action pained him, how his throat felt as dry as sandpaper, and how Atsushi dropped his bag of chips in surprise. “I’ll be back with the papers.”

With that said, Seijuurou stepped around his desk and headed for the door. No one stopped him. No one said a word. 

Only when he had closed the door behind him did Seijuurou let down his guard. His shoulders sagged as he exhaled slowly. 

The school hallways were not equipped with an air conditioner. Without it, the midday summer heat felt almost unbearable. The clammy air made Seijuurous clothes stick to his already-sweaty body. He fought off the wobble that threatened to unbalance his gait. 

Luckily, none of the other students he crossed paths with in the hallway noticed. They steered clear of his path and bowed respectfully as usual. Seijuurou did his best to return their greeting—although each nod of his head sent it on a rollercoaster ride that darkened his vision around the edges. 

Seijuurou stepped out of the school building and onto hot asphalt slowly. His ears were still ringing, drowning out the natural buzz of the cicadas that came from the trees around the pathway. A gentle breeze sent the leaves rustling and caressed his overheated face. It should’ve felt nice, but it really just made him break out in uncontrollable shivers.

Seijuurou kept walking determinedly, but the school gate didn’t seem to be any closer. The sun was so bright it blinded Seijuurou.

“Akashi-kun, wake up!”

Seijuurou jerked back in surprise.

He blinked. Somehow, he’d veered off the main pathway completely and into the courtyard adjacent to it. He’d almost crashed into a tree. 

Tetsuya was the one who’d stopped him. He was holding Seijuurou by the elbow, prepared to bodily pull him back if he had to. 

“Tetsuya—" Seijuurou was cut off as Tetsuya’s hand shot out. It made contact with Seijuurou’s forehead before he could react, and then it was pulled back just as quickly. 

The next thing Seijuurou knew, Tetsuya was pulling him in the direction of the school building, away from his destination. 

“Tetsuya, where are you taking me?”

“The nurse’s office.”

“There’s no need for that.”

“You’re sick, Akashi-kun. You need to rest.”

“Tetsuya, I can’t. I have to wait for my chauffeur. He’s on his way here with some very important papers. I need them.”

Tetsuya stopped and turned around to gaze reproachfully at Seijuurou, not quite convinced. 

Seijuurou must’ve looked more miserable than he felt, because Tetsuya's eyes filled with worry and he quickly relented. He walked back to the tree Seijuurou had almost crashed into, sat down in its shades, and to Seijuurou’s disbelief, patted his lap while looking at Seijuurou expectantly.

In his life, Seijuurou had never been more at a loss for words.

“You can wait for your chauffeur here,” Tetsuya insisted. “No one’s going to see us together.”

It was frankly amazing how Tetsuya could say that with a straight face, but it was true. The tree was partially hidden from view, so other students wouldn’t be able to see them unless they were looking. It also wasn’t too far away from the school’s main entrance so Seijuurou could still keep an eye out for his limo. 

One couldn’t become a savvy businessman without having a sense for which deal would benefit them the most. 

Seijuurou had never imagined himself letting his guard down this much, especially in such a public place and in broad daylight. But under the protection of the towering tree and with Tetsuya’s lap a more comfortable cushion than Seijuurou dared to admit, his head finally stopped spinning. Tetsuya placed a deliciously cold hand on Seijuurou’s forehead. The shade of his hair matched the summer sky peeking from between the net of leaves and branches perfectly, and for a moment, Seijuurou had to close his eyes because it all just seemed so bright. 

“Tetsuya…” Seijuurou couldn’t resist. Now was the perfect time to get that burning question out of his mind, get that pressure off of his chest. “Do you think I’m cruel?”

Seijuurou hadn’t thought much of it when he’d stepped in to help Tetsuya, but maybe Daiki, Shintarou, and his father were right. Maybe Seijuurou was being unintentionally cruel. Interfering with Tetsuya’s life just to satisfy his own curiosity wasn’t fair to Tetsuya. Tetsuya was an unsuspecting, gentle soul. Seijuurou, on the other hand, was so used to the dark side that he wouldn’t even have thought twice of his selfish act if it weren’t for others’ intervention. 

Maybe it was better for Seijuurou to end this right now after all. 

“Akashi-kun is kind.”

Seijuurou’s first reaction was too laugh. Because it had to be a joke. Seijuurou had been called many things, but “kind” was never one of them.

Tetsuya, however, wasn't laughing. 

“Akashi-kun didn’t look down on my basketball. It’s thanks to you that I’m now able to play with everyone in the club.” Tetsuya gripped Seijuurou’s hand tightly. “Thank you, Akashi-kun.”

“Tetsuya, I didn’t do anything.” Years of being tempered like a block of steel to be a cold-blooded businessman had hardened Seijuurou so much that he hadn’t thought he had any sincerity left, but there was no mistaking this curious feeling overflowing inside of him. “It’s all you. Your light draws people in.”

Tetsuya shook his head. “I am a shadow. If anyone shines with a bright light, it’s Akashi-kun. Others just can’t help but follow you.”

Seijuurou opened his mouth to protest. But as if on cue, Seijuurou suddenly heard a familiar voice call his name.

“Akashicchi!” Ryota shouted as he ran right past the tree Seijuurou and Tetsuya were sitting behind. “Geez, it’s all Aominecchi’s fault. Akashicchi was obviously sick. You shouldn’t have been so hard on him. He could be lying dead somewhere right now thanks to you.”

“I was just asking a question! How was I supposed to know he was going to take it so roughly?”

“Aka-chin will surely get all better once he eats my snacks.”

“He’s not here,” Shintarou said, worry evident in his tone. “Maybe he’s at the back entrance. Let’s go.”

Ryota and Daiki continued to bicker as they headed in the opposite direction of where Seijuurou was. Once their voices had faded, Tetsuya turned to him with a triumphant look, a small smile tugging on his lips. 

Seijuurou had lost. For the first time in his life, he’d completely and utterly lost. 

“Tetsuya, I’m sorry,” Seijuurou said as he reluctantly left the warmth of Tetsuya’s lap. He needed to be on equal height with Tetsuya. He needed to look into his eyes. “I was wrong. But I want to make it right.” 

Tetsuya tilted his head in confusion but didn’t say anything. He waited for Seijuurou to continue. 

“I befriended you with selfish intentions. But now I really want to get to know you better. As a person, not as an object I happen to find interesting. Will you give me a chance?”

Tetsuya’s reaction wasn’t what Seijuurou had expected. 

He suddenly went stiff. His posture became very defensive. He was slowly inching away from Seijuurou. 

“No, Akashi-kun.”

Seijuurou would understand if Tetsuya were angry or disappointed, but this was different. He looked almost…frightened. “Tetsuya—"

“There you are, Kuroko-kun! Everyone's been looking all over for you.” The girl from Tetsuya’s class—the one who’d opened the classroom door for Seijuurou yesterday—ran towards them. “Did you forget that our class is having a meeting about the Romeo and Juliet play? Or did no one bother to tell you? I told them it's fine to go on without you, but Kagami-kun was making such a ruckus over it. Geez, you should’ve paid attention. The student council is waiting for the finalized report of the roles in the play, you know.” The girl gasped when she saw Seijuurou. “Akashi-san! I-I’m sorry to interrupt.”

Akashi would’ve sent the girl away—because he and Tetsuya were in the middle of a very important conversation—but Tetsuya beat him to the punch. He climbed to his feet, dusted his pants, and said, “It’s fine, Tanaka-san. I apologize for delaying the class meeting. Let’s head back now.”

“Tetsuya, we’re not done yet,” Seijuurou reminded. “Meet me again tomorrow. I want to hear your reason.”

Tetsuya just glanced over his shoulder sadly. 

“You’ll be disappointed.”

He left after saying those cryptic words. 

The next day, Seijuurou did find himself disappointed. 

He’d fully recovered from his bout of illness, but perhaps Tetsuya had caught it from him, because Seijuurou had visited his class during lunch break only to be informed that Kuroko Tetsuya was absent for the day.

Seijuurou had a lot of student council work to do, leftover from yesterday, and yet he found himself unable to concentrate. His mind strayed to Tetsuya persistently. 

Going over the paper in front of him for the third time, Seijuurou finally registered the words and realized that it was the list of roles for the Romeo and Juliet play.

The name Kuroko Tetsuya was nowhere to be found. The onstage behind-the-scene role was filled by someone called Suzuki. 

Tetsuya had been taken out of the play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? Like it so far? Tell me what you think!


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't been able to update for a while!

Tetsuya didn’t come to school the next day. 

Seijuurou suffered through Tetsuya’s classmates’ idiotic stuttering and blushing when he went to his class again during lunch break only to realize that very few of them even realized Tetsuya existed, and fewer still noticed his absence. 

Even Kagami Taiga's uproarious blathering would've been better than this. And he was at least likely to have noticed Tetsuya's absence. Unfortunately, he'd stepped out just minutes before Seijuurou had arrived. 

Tetsuya had never been quite that invisible to Seijuurou. In fact, he was downright remarkable. Seijuurou was sure that if Tetsuya had gone onstage to move props around, his eyes would follow him instead of the leading actors. However, the same couldn’t be said for the rest of the school. To them, the props might’ve looked like they were moving on their own. Tetsuya was perfect for the role. Tetsuya had wanted that role so badly he studied the script during lunch breaks even though he wouldn’t actually get to say any of the lines.

So Seijuurou had to ask: “Why was Kuroko Tetsuya taken out of the play?”

Tanaka blinked. She seemed to recall the events from yesterday and had come to the conclusion that Seijuurou and Tetsuya were friends. She knew that badmouthing Tetsuya would not give her points in Seijuurou’s eyes, so she wisely stayed quiet.

Her friend, however, was not that lucky. 

“I’m surprised you noticed that small change in our proposal! You have such a good eye, Akashi-sama.” She chortled obnoxiously. Tanaka had introduced her as Shinawa, the class rep. Seijuurou wondered how she was supposed to keep the whole class in check when she herself had to be breaking at least two rules. She was wearing expensive accessories and her skirt had been cut so short even the slightest wind would’ve laid everything bare. “To answer your question… Well, I think he's most unfit to be a part of our spectacular play.”

Seijuurou saw Tanaka giving her friend panicked signals out of the corner of his eye, but Shinawa was too focused on Seijuurou to notice. 

“On another note, won’t you come to this class again after school, Akashi-sama? We’re preparing the costumes. I designed them myself, you know. They will be a feast for the eyes.” Shinawa fluttered her fake eyelashes. 

“Is that so? It’s admirable that you’re starting the preparations so soon.”

“But of course! We want nothing but the best! We’re aiming for the first prize in this culture festival. Everyone’s excited. The whole class is giving their best.”

“I see. And what role does Tetsuya play, then? I assume he’s been given a new one, since you deemed him unfit for the previous one.”

“Well… He doesn’t exactly have a role, per se.” Shinawa sounded hesitant. She was eyeing Seijuurou curiously, as if wondering why he was asking so many questions about such a boring guy. 

“Oh. And why is that?” Seijuurou asked. “Every member of the class should participate in the preparation for the culture festival. It was intended as a means to build the student body’s sense of camaraderie after all.”

“He’s not a part of the class. Even when he’s physically here, he always seems so far away.” Shinawa leaned in to whisper conspiratically to Seijuurou. Seijuurou only managed to fight off the urge to run away because he wanted to hear what she had to say about Tetsuya. “He’s not right in the head.”

At this point, Tanaka was already inching away, terrified of the disaster she knew was coming. 

But Shinawa didn’t get the memo. 

“I mean, we can’t have him suddenly having a fit and acting like a madman onstage. I can’t risk it. Not after how much effort we have put into this. That would be really ugly. Don’t you agree, Akashi-sama?”

“You won’t even have a stage to hold the play on if you don’t find a role for Tetsuya.”

Seijuurou felt an immense sense of satisfaction at the way Shinawa’s jaw go slack. 

“Wh-what are you saying, Akashi-sama?”

“I will not approve of your proposal until you’ve changed it to include him.”

Shinawa gaped. Then she stammered. Her face twisted in anger. Not even the thick layers of makeup she’d piled on her face could hide its ugly shade of red. 

“That’s not fair! You’re playing favoritism!”

“I’m not. You, on the other hand, are discriminating against a person with autism. Tetsuya could sue you just for that, you know.”

Shinawa spluttered, at a loss for words. 

“I didn’t say you have to give him a big role. Just don’t alienate him. He doesn’t deserve that.”

Shinawa frowned. She was eyeing Seijuurou with open suspicion now. “What is he to you?”

“A friend.”

“Yeah, right.” Shinawa scoffed. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms over her chest. It was like a switch had been flipped. She’d suddenly lost all of her cheery attitude and shown her true colors. “All right. I’ll give him a role. But I want you to promise to sign your approval immediately afterwards, without protesting my decision.”

Seijuurou narrowed his eyes. “Are you questioning my authority?”

Shinawa faltered a bit, but she held her ground. “It’s only fair. I’m the class rep and I should be able to decide who plays what. Even though you’re the student council president, meddling with our class’ business means abusing your authority, Akashi-sama.”

Seijuurou hated to admit it, but she had a point. 

“I understand,” he said. “I give you my word.”

Shinawa smirked evilly. 

Seijuurou had a feeling he’d just made things worse for Tetsuya.

#

Tetsuya lived in a small apartment in the downtown area. 

Seijuurou eyed the old building warily. It looked like the slightest wind would break its foundations and send it crumbling down. 

It was easy enough to find where Tetsuya lived—he had access to all student’s basic information after all, and he was not afraid to use it—but now that Seijuurou was actually here, an unfamiliar feeling was creeping up.

Seijuurou was questioning himself. 

What was he doing, really? Tetsuya had only been absent for a day. Why was Seijuurou so worried? Why had he gone out of his way to cancel his meetings? Why did he lie to his chauffeur about needing to stay until late at school in order to visit someone he’d barely known for a week?

And then the million dollar question: Would Tetsuya be angry with him for digging up his information without permission and dropping by without warning?

Why did the thought fill Seijuurou with a sense of dread?

Seijuurou shook his head and composed himself. He was Akashi Seijuurou. He never backed down.

The wooden stairs creaked ominously under his weight. Thankfully, Tetsuya’s room was only on the second floor. Although the apartment only had three floors in total. The whole building was smaller than the storage building in Seijuurou’s backyard. There was no security. No one even questioned the unfamiliar high-school student lurking around the apartment. Seijuurou resisted the urge to cluck his tongue in disapproval. 

He pressed the doorbell to Tetsuya’s room and waited. 

When no one opened it after five minutes, he pressed it again.

And again.

Seijuurou was wondering if no one was home and contemplating leaving when a voice drifted through the door.

“Please go home, Akashi-kun.”

So Tetsuya was angry after all.

“I’m sorry for dropping by without permission, Tetsuya.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. I’m really happy that Akashi-kun cares.”

Seijuurou tried to tone down the way his heart lifted at those words. “Well then, will you open the door?”

There was silence for a while. Then: “I can’t.”

“Why, Tetsuya?” 

“I can’t let you see me right now.”

Seijuurou was really starting to get worried. Something was wrong with Tetsuya. 

“Open the door.”

“No.” Tetsuya’s voice trembled, as if he was crying.

That was the last straw.

“Open the door or I’ll wait out here until you do.”

Silence. Tetsuya had quite the stubborn streak in him.

“The wind is strong out here, Tetsuya. I haven’t recovered completely from my cold. I think I’m starting to run a fever again.”

The door swung open pretty quickly after Seijuurou said that.

Tetsuya was a mess.

His eyes were bloodshot, not just from lack of sleep, but also from crying. There were tear tracks on his cheek, and his hair looked like a bird's nest. Seijuurou swore he spotted some bald patches, as if Tetsuya had pulled out his own hair. He’d also bitten down on his lips strongly enough to draw blood.

Tetsuya took one look at Seijuurou’s face, realized he’d been tricked, and fresh tears welled up in his eyes. “I told you you’d be disappointed.” He turned his head down in an attempt to hide his face. "This is the real me, Akashi-kun."

Seijuurou was taken aback, but he certainly wasn’t disappointed.

To show that, he gently pushed Tetsuya inside, closed the door, and enveloped Tetsuya in a hug.

Tetsuya’s breath hitched. He tried pushing Seijuurou away, but Seijuurou wouldn’t budge. He held Tetsuya closely, whispering “It’ll be okay” into his ear. 

The fight drained right out of Tetsuya.

He melted into Seijuurou’s embrace. He cried. He screamed. He pulled on Seijuurou’s clothes and hair. His hands were trembling, and it was obvious that he wanted to keep himself from hurting Seijuurou, but his emotions were out of control. At one point, Seijuurou even felt blunt teeth biting down on the cloth that covered his shoulder. 

And yet to Seijuurou, what’s important was that Tetsuya wasn’t pushing him away. 

“Let it all out,” Seijuurou said. “I’m here. I won’t leave you. You’re not alone.”

Right then, Seijuurou promised himself that he would never let anyone hurt Tetsuya again.

Tetsuya was his to protect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you enjoy it? Tell me what you think :).


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haven't been able to update in a while, but here's an extra-sized chapter for you!

It took a while for Tetsuya to calm down. 

They were still sitting at the front entrance. The floor was cold under Seijuurou, the door hard against his back. But Tetsuya was soft and warm in his lap, so it wasn’t so bad after all. 

Tetsuya’s sobs were slowly dying down. Seijuurou didn’t take that as a sign to relent, though. He kept whispering words of reassurance into Tetsuya’s ears. Running his hand over Tetsuya’s hair was becoming more than just a soothing motion—it was turning into a pleasure. 

Tetsuya’s hair was baby-soft. Seijuurou really liked the way it felt. But when Seijuurou’s hand drifted towards the back of Tetsuya’s head, he felt something there that made him frown.

There were uneven ridges. It felt like an old scar. A big one. 

It was then that Seijuurou took notice of the interior of the apartment. It was neater than he’d expected, judging from the weathered exterior. The hardwood floor was scrubbed clean and the furniture were old but dust-free. It was obvious that someone had put a lot of effort into keeping it clean and comfortable. However, there were beer bottles strewn across the table and piled in the trash can. 

Tetsuya chose that moment to jerk back, flinging himself away from Seijuurou bodily as if his touch suddenly burned him. His face was a bright crimson.

“I’m…” Tetsuya swallowed, trying to find his voice. “I’m sorry you had to see that, Akashi-kun.” 

Tetsuya bit his lip and looked down. He wouldn’t meet Seijuurou’s eyes. It seemed like he had regained control over his emotions, but to Seijuurou, he still looked like he wanted to cry. 

Tetsuya had said that Seijuurou would be “disappointed” in him. That wasn’t something someone without a prior experience of emotional hurt would use. Someone had once witnessed Tetsuya’s emotional breakdown and called him a disappointment. Someone had hurt Tetsuya deeply. 

By not leaving, Seijuurou should’ve conveyed on some level that he wasn’t disappointed by any means. However, it was obvious that this wasn’t the kind of wound that would be easy to heal. 

Seijuurou stood up. Tetsuya first flinched back in surprise. Then he stared in bewilderment at Seijuurou’s extended hand. 

“Let’s go out, Tetsuya.”

Tetsuya’s eyes were fixed around Seijuurou’s neck—not quite meeting his eyes but close enough. “Go where?”

“I have a place in mind. It’s not far.”

Tetsuya panicked. He looked like he didn’t know how to respond to the invitation. 

Had no one ever bothered to invite Tetsuya to friendly outings before? 

“I-I don’t think that’s a good idea. Don’t you have work to do, Akashi-kun?”

“I’ve cleared my schedule for the day. I want to spend time with you. As a friend.” Seijuurou leaned forward to match Tetsuya’s eye level, smiling when he saw that Tetsuya was showing a very interesting expression—torn between hesitance and want. “Don’t you think of me as your friend, Tetsuya?”

Tetsuya raised his hand, then pulled back halfway. Then raised his hand, and pulled back halfway. To Seijuurou, who was used to facing poker-faced businessmen and boot-licking employees, it was a refreshing sight of pure honesty. 

But after Tetsuya repeated the motion for the fifth time, Seijuurou decided to simply grab Tetsuya’s hand and pull him up, then out of the door. 

Seijuurou led Tetsuya away from the apartment, then down the street. They didn’t engage in a conversation along the way. They didn’t need to. The silence that stretched between them was a comfortable one. Seijuurou very much preferred this quiet atmosphere of mutual understanding to any fake attempts at building a connection. 

Tetsuya seemed content to walk beside him with his head down, not even looking at where they were headed. Shadows lengthened as time ticked on. Tetsuya blended with the darkness so well that it seemed like he would disappear if Seijuurou so much as blinked. The thought disagreed with Seijuurou so much that he immediately tightened his grip on Tetsuya’s hand. 

Tetsuya let out a soft sound of surprise, but otherwise didn’t protest and didn’t try to pull his hand out of Seijuurou’s grip. 

“We’re here.”

It was an office building, and an abandoned one at that. 

It wasn’t much to look at—certainly wouldn’t be what anyone expected to be invited by a friend to. Seijuurou knew for a fact that if it were Ryouta, he’d complain to no end about how gloomy the place was and whine non-stop about switching to a classy café where they could hang out. If it were Daiki, he’d make a jab at Seijuurou for misleading him and then walk off to take a nap. 

Tetsuya did none of those. His face was hard to read, but Seijuurou saw a spark of curiosity in his eyes. 

They walked right past the front door. The old security guard on shift was snoring so loudly inside his post that he wouldn’t have noticed if the place had been bombed. Seijuurou let him be. The security was just there for formalities anyway; there wasn’t anything really worth guarding inside. 

Tetsuya spoke up as they were climbing the stairs. “An office building in the downtown area? It’s just a few blocks away from my apartment, and I never even noticed it.”

“My grandfather built it. He bought this plot of land very cheaply. There wasn’t much in the way of civilization around here back then. But this was where the Akashi Group had its start.” 

Their footsteps echoed ominously in the empty building. With the electricity cut off and no one else around, it felt like they had stepped into another world. Tetsuya had every right to be apprehensive. In fact, he should be afraid. He’d only met Seijuurou several days ago, after all. 

Tetsuya showed no sign of that, though. It made Seijuurou worry because he was too easily led around for his own good, but it also secretly made him happy. 

Tetsuya trusted him.

On the topmost floor, past a long corridor, there was a door that led to what used to be the director’s office. Seijuurou unlocked it with his keys and pushed the door open.

Immediately, light flooded into the dark corridor. 

Tetsuya gasped in awe at the view beyond the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, the sun was setting. The sky was a sea of fire. It bathed them in warm orange rays. Tetsuya’s pale hair looked almost white in the intense light. 

Tetsuya wasted no time in getting a better look. He crossed the room in several quick steps, then tentatively placed his palms against the windowpane and looked down. 

“Akashi-kun, I can see the whole neighborhood!” Tetsuya gushed with an almost childish glee.

“Indeed. This is the tallest building in the area after all. The view is quite something, no?”

“The houses look like stacking cubes,” Tetsuya commented, looking like he was itching to pick them up with his bare hands and start playing with them. 

“My father moved our main office to the commercial center. This place is no longer convenient; it’s so far removed from where our business partners are. He was planning to tear the building down because it was “useless.” Said it was a mistake—an unwise investment. I was inclined to agree with him until recently.” Seijuurou turned his eyes away from the view and set them on Tetsuya, quietly taking in the subtle lines of laughter on his face and his easy honesty. “But now I see that there is value even in the most seemingly-unworthy imperfections.”

“Akashi-kun, are you using this old building as an analogy for me?”

Seijuurou could honestly admit that he was taken aback by Tetsuya’s sudden perceptiveness. He was about to apologize for being rude, but instead of being offended, Tetsuya put a hand on his chin and started thinking deeply. He nodded, then said, “Yes, I think I can see the resemblance.”

“You…can?”

Tetsuya turned to Seijuurou with a pout. “Akashi-kun, please don’t make fun of me. I’m fully aware that my behavior is often seen as off-putting by others.” Tetsuya looked up with a pensive look in his eyes, slowly tracing the dark spots in the ceiling. The building was old, and although Akashi’s father did spare some cash every now and then to maintain its condition, heavy downpours still caused leakages. “I can’t fully control my emotions. I try to suppress them as much as possible, but there are times when they just…bubble over. It’s unstoppable. Almost like a force of nature. It was worse when I was younger. I’d have a major breakdown like the one you saw just now over the smallest things.”

Seijuurou couldn’t imagine how it must’ve felt. He was always perfect, always in control of everything, including himself. To have his rationality shoved aside as he watched from the bylines as emotions took control of his body, as if there was someone else inside…

Seijuurou shuddered to think of it. 

“The cause wasn’t even that big of a deal. I’m sorry for showing you such a pathetic sight, Akashi-kun.”

“Tetsuya, stop looking down on yourself.”

Tetsuya’s gaze jumped to meet Seijuurou’s, startled. 

“Did someone tell you that you were pathetic? Did someone say you were off-putting?” Seijuurou advanced. He planted one elbow against the window to keep Tetsuya from slipping away while the other snaked into the mass of soft blue hair, feeling the old scar stamped to the back of Tetsuya’s head like a brand, a constant reminder of how undesirable he was. “Did someone hurt you for being you?”

Tetsuya’s eyes were wide as saucers. 

“Tetsuya, if you need to get out of that home, I can help you.”

Then, Tetsuya blinked. 

“Akashi-kun, did you think that my father was hurting me?”

“Isn’t he?”

“No!” Tetsuya shoved his way out of Seijuurou’s arms, his face a picture of affront. “My father would never hurt me. What made you think that?”

“The beer bottles on the table…”

“He’s just having a hard time. The economy’s been rough. He only drinks two cans per day. They only piled up because I haven’t been in the right state of mind to clean them up since yesterday.” 

“But why did he leave you alone?”

Tetsuya flushed at that. “He doesn’t know. I pretended to go to school this morning. I held the breakdown at bay until he was safely away. I can do at least that much. My father loves me, Akashi-kun, and I him. I simply did not want him to worry.”

Seijuurou did not know what to say. He was completely off the mark. That didn’t happen often. 

One thing was clear, though: “But someone did hurt you.”

Tetsuya ripped his gaze away from Seijuurou. He stared at the view outside the window in silence. The sun had completely set by now. Only the light of the moon kept the room from being pitch-black. 

“Let’s go to Maji Burger.”

Akashi blinked. 

“What?”

“It’s time for dinner. And I haven’t had the chance to thank you for helping me with the basketball club and visiting me out of concern today, so it’s my treat.”

And just like that, the tense atmosphere dispersed. There were so many things wrong with Tetsuya’s very unsubtle attempt at changing the topic that Seijuurou once again couldn’t help but laugh. For one, Seijuurou had never had a schoolmate offer to pay for his meals before. If anything, they usually asked him to pay for them.

“Akashi-kun?” Tetsuya tilted his head. “Do you not like burgers?”

“I’ve never had them before, but I look forward to finding out.”

Tetsuya nodded with a very serious expression on his face. “They also serve this amazing vanilla milkshake. I’m sure you’ll like it, Akashi-kun.”

Seijuurou wanted to know so much more about Tetsuya. After all, how could he protect him if he didn’t know what exactly he needed to be protected from? But Seijuurou understood that now wasn’t the right time to pry any further. 

Maybe over a glass of this “amazing vanilla milkshake” then.

#

Seijuurou’s hope for a lovely dinner with Tetsuya was dashed not even five minutes after they’d placed their orders and taken a seat at a corner booth. 

“Akashi-sama! What a coincidence!”

Shinawa bounded over towards them. Like the loyal follower that she was, Tanaka was not far behind, although at least she intruded much more shamefully. 

“What are you doing here alone? You don’t seem like the type to eat at a cheap fast food restaurant like this one.” Shinawa sat down on the empty seat next to Tetsuya and shoved his tray out of the way to make space for her own. 

“Excuse me, but you’re being very rude to Tetsuya.”

Shinawa glanced to her right and practically jumped out of her skin. “Kuroko-kun! How long have you been there?”

“The whole time,” Tetsuya mumbled around his straw. It was difficult to detect, but Seijuurou could see that there was a frown line between his eyebrows that definitely hadn’t been there before Shinawa arrived.

Shinawa narrowed her eyes. As if Tetsuya’s very presence was a personal insult to her, her cheery attitude was replaced by an unpleasant bitterness in a flash. “Fancy meeting you here. Might as well tell you, then. Congratulations, your plan worked.”

Tetsuya scrunched up his nose in confusion. “What plan?”

“Oh, don’t play dumb. Since you went as far as to use your connection to Akashi-sama to get a role in our play, our class agreed to give you the most important one.”

Tetsuya stared at the center of Shinawa’s forehead blankly. 

“At least look me in the eye, will you? Do you even understand what I’m saying? You’re now officially our class’ Juliet! I hope you’re happy. Thank you very much for ruining this play before it even starts, Kuroko-kun!”

Tetsuya’s face had now gone white as a paper. Seijuurou resisted the urge to slam his hand on the table. 

“Shinawa, you’re doing this on purpose. You know he’s not ready for that role.”

“Sorry, Akashi-sama. It’s the class’ decision. You promised you wouldn’t interfere.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and roughly picked her tray back up. “Let’s go find another table, Tanaka. My appetite would be ruined if I stay here. You’re welcome to join us, Akashi-sama.”

Seijuurou didn’t even see the need to grace Shinawa with an answer. He just stared at Tetsuya’s pale face, silently debating what to do or what to say.

He came up with nothing.

Shinawa wanted to embarrass Tetsuya on stage, in front of the whole school.

He’d just promised himself that he would protect Tetsuya, but this was the one thing he couldn’t completely prevent. 

He’d be damned if he just sat still and watched it happen, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick note, this fic will not be focusing on the basketball games. There would not be detailed interpretations in future chapters.


End file.
